Readers focus on Mayor Filner

In response to “Filner, hoteliers at impasse once again” (Local, April 10): [San Diego Mayor Bob] Filner is the gift that keeps on giving! Filner won’t sign agreement with TMD that would release $30 million a year without an indemnification agreement from hoteliers that protects the city’s general fund against having to pay refunds to hotel guests [if] the hoteliers’ marketing fee [is] judged illegal as a result of currently pending litigation.

This, of course, is a silly reason not to sign the agreement. Why not expose the city’s general fund to such a possibility? No risk, right? Terry Brown, chairman of the marketing district board, says it cannot agree to the indemnification demands Filner is making. He says, “It would shut down the TMD down. We won’t be able to perform under Filner’s indemnity proposal.”

So it’s OK to let the city assume the risk? Sounds to me like mean ol’, politically incorrect Bob Filner is doing a good job of protecting the interests of the city. Go Bob! – Lee Fouts, Santee

I’m appalled at the behavior of Mayor Filner and his persistent confrontational tactics that disrupt the flow of orderly government that would benefit our citizens, their jobs, and the important tourism economy.

He’s not a “team” player. He’s a lone wolf who does not stay to his word. Look at his untrusting smile when he speaks! Who could trust this guy? He thinks he’s above the rules!

Well, Mr. Mayor, you work for me! A citizen! Not yourself! So get in line and support our tourism effort and save some jobs! – John T. Smart, University City

Filner is pathetically trying to expunge his invisible career as a loyal Democratic backbencher by ferociously becoming a latter day Don Quixote tilting at windmills that will enhance his legacy as the savior of San Diego. Unfortunately his only claim to fame is his judicious choice of a nanny-state congressional district that would repeatedly and slavishly re-elect him because of his espousal of more and more freebies for the clamoring inane cadre of mindless “I want yours” voters.

The city of San Diego can only hope that the newly instituted removal petition will gain enough momentum to relieve our beloved city of this hyper egoist before we are relegated to the junk-bond status of the likes of Detroit and many other municipalities that have been destroyed by career politicians who only crave to preserve their pathetic desire for fame. – Bob O’Dwyer, San Diego

In evaluating the performance of San Diego Mayor Bob Filner, there are a few old sayings that apply, such as “a new broom sweeps clean” and “Don’t leave a stone unturned.” Then, in the case of “The unbelievable comments of Filner” (Letters, April 5), writer Dan Yelvington says, “I support a move to recall Mr. Filner.” “The chance of a snowball in hell” applies.

Since winning the election decidedly, Filner has won over thousands more voters by one action alone, eliminating the red-light cameras. As he methodically turns over the stones in former Mayor Jerry Sanders’ rock garden, constructed over the past seven years, the scorpions and spiders are scurrying in all directions.

Now, in the U-T Econometer (Business, April 7), when asked, “Will research projects like the proposed brain-mapping undertaking bring economic benefits to San Diego?,” Norm Miller, University of San Diego, submitted as part of his answer, “What would be really exciting for our economy is if they could rewire our mayor’s brain to convert it from adversarial and manipulative to cooperative and collegial.”

I find it rather strange that San Diego voters voted for a strong-mayor form of government, but when they get a mayor behaving like a strong mayor, they don’t like it. – James Caldwell, Serra Mesa